James Richardson lives opposite the beach at Penarth and goes out every morning to capture the daybreak dippers
Scores of swimmers gathered at a Welsh beach at dawn today to welcome in the summer solstice. The Dawnstalkers community swim at Penarth beach for sunrise every morning throughout the year.
They were joined today by many more to greet the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Summer solstice marks the day the sun is at its highest point in the sky, before it begins its slow descent to winter. June 21 will be the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year in our hemisphere, a magic moment of midsummer.
To welcome the day we are sharing these dramatic images from Dawnstalkers official photographer James Richardson. James lives opposite the beach at Penarth seafront and goes down every morning to capture the daybreak dippers in the ever changing light and weather of the coast. He has kept a record of the group since it evolved in the pandemic after local, Grant Zehetmayr, began taking a morning swim at daybreak, whatever the weather.
Now people come from Penarth and beyond to swim with the group. Some have travellled from Wiltshire regularly and one moved from Lancashire to stay swimming with them.
James captures the changing moods and seasons as the sun rises every day through the year. Sometimes the glow turns the sea purple, at other times the sea and sky is burnished bright orange. It’s these other worldly scenes that captures the imagination and keeps swimmers returning, even when the water gets so cold it takes the breath away.
One describes “crunching” across frosty seaweed in the depths of winter to get to the chilly water. By contrast the midsummer water is warm. The warmest seawater temperatures off Penarth are in August and September at around 16.7C and the coldest in March with an average 8.3C, records show.
Sometimes the sea is flat as glass and at others wind and storms whip up the waves for a more energetic experience..
Depending on tides, which come very low and very high here, the group swims off one side or the other of Penarth pier. For James this altering landscape is the perfect canvas.
“The light at dawn is always different and depends on the clouds and mist,” he says, “I love taking pictures here and it’s never the same even though you’re in the same place.”
This time of daybreak is known as the “blue hour” in photography and generally considered as the opposite to the golden hour at dusk. The moment before dawn the sky may be light blue, but in moments as the sun peeps above the horizon it can also come ablaze with reds, pinks, orange and even purple.
These photos by James show some of the scenes and colours he’s captured through the seasons with the Dawnstalkers. He also shares them on his Instagram at @halfit0.5 and @dawnstalkers. An exhibition of James’ work to celebrate the group is planned for September at Penarth pier building.
More information about Dawnstalkers can be found here
Happy solstice!
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Welcoming the longest day of the year
Swimmers head to the shore to welcome in the summer solstice dawn at Penarth beach with the Dawnstalkers (Image: James Richardson)1 of 13
The sky is ablaze with colour
Swimmers are silhouetted against the vibrant light as dawn breaks over the sea (Image: James Richardson)
The world turns red and pink
Photographer James Richardson says the colours of daybreak over the sea are ever changing. The mist, temperature, time of year, clouds and weather all play their part in the drama. (Image: James Richardson)
Blue winter chill
This winter swimmer’s red hat contrasts with the ice blue of the sea and sky. Dawnstalkers wekcome the day with a dip whatever the weather at Penarth beach. (Image: James Richardson)4 of 13
